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Monday, October 9, 2017

Either she and her children would emerge from that wilderness together, or none of them would. . . .

In 1774, the Ohio-Kentucky frontier pulses
with rising tension and brutal conflicts as
Colonists push westward and encroach
upon Native American territories. The young Inglesby
family is making the perilous journey west when
an accident sends Philip back to Redstone Fort for help,
forcing him to leave his pregnant wife Clare
and their four-year old son Jacob on a remote mountain trail.

When Philip does not return and Jacob disappears from the wagon under the cover of darkness, Clare awakens the next morning to find herself utterly alone, in labor and wondering how she can to recover her son . . . especially when her second child is moments away from being born.

Clare will face the greatest fight of her life, as she struggles to reclaim her son from the Shawnee Indians now holding him captive. But with the battle lines sharply drawn, Jacob's life might not be the only one at stake. When frontiersman Jeremiah Ring comes to her aid, can the stranger convince Clare that recovering her son will require the very thing her anguished heart is unwilling to do-be still, wait and let God fight this battle for them?

Lori Benton was raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American history going back three hundred years. Her novels transport readers to the eighteenth century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history. When she isn't writing, reading, or researching, Lori enjoys exploring and photographing the Oregon wilderness with her husband. She is the author of "Burning Sky," recipient of three Christy Awards, "The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn," Christy-nominee "The Wood's Edge," and "A Flight of Arrows."

I was very moved by this story for several reasons. The author does an excellent job of depicting history during 1774 with graphic details that jump off the pages. I’m part Native American , and I wept through the entire book. It was not easy to live during this period in history and many succumbed to illness or by being killed. The story takes us to the Ohio River area where land was plentiful and everyone wanted it.

Clair was a strong woman who goes through traumatic events which for some would be to much . I can’t imagine traveling in a wagon with a small boy and pregnant with another child. The terrain was hard and I think Claire wanted to give up. When her husband leaves her alone with wagon I knew the outcome would not be good. It will take every ounce of her strength and belief in God to survive. I did like how the author used different characters to talk to Claire about her faith. When we are in the midst of a crisis, it’s hard to rely on our faith sometimes. Claire was a great character who showed how important her children were to her. How far would you go to protect your children?

Jeremiah was a very vital part to this story. When he stumbles upon Claire it looks like he will be witnessing a birth. I liked how he always stayed calm in every situation. He is torn between the Shawnee and the white and his loyalty to one with come into play in the story. I thought the storyline about Claire’s son being taken by the Shawnee was very authentic. As you read historical books often times the Indians would capture children and women.

One of the hardest things for me to read was the battle between the troops and the Shawnee. The author shows how much research went into the story by the details of the culture and how they each fought to save their land and people. I’m impressed by the balance she wrote about both the Indians and white. One of the biggest parts of the story revolves around Claire trying to get her son back. As hard as it was to know who had him, she showed grace and mercy towards this person. If you are looking for a well written historical book filled with action, a bit of romance and learning how to have faith, this is one book you must read.

I received a copy of this book from LitFuse. The review is my own opinion.